It’s been over a month since Billy and I got back from Las Vegas. We went for Billy’s 21st birthday and since we’ve come back we have both had the worst holiday blues we have ever experienced. I was a little bit dubious about going to Las Vegas – I didn’t know if it was going to be the holiday for me, but I ended up having an amazing time! So, I decided to share what we did whilst we were out there which made it such a great holiday and one that I would recommend to everyone and anyone!
Where we stayed:
We opted to stay in what is perhaps the most famous hotel in the strip: Caesars Palace. I found a great deal on Expedia for our flights and accommodation and so it seemed like the best option to go with the hotel we had heard the most about! However on arriving we realised that ALL the hotels in Las Vegas are insane and staying in any of them would have been an experience! Each hotel boasts multiple restauarants, large pools and some of them even have shopping centres! However, I am glad we stayed in Caesars for its fairly central location – most of the other hotels were within walking distance, the only one we got a cab to was the Stratosphere! On arrival we were upgraded to a room in the Octavius tower and the room was beautiful! It left nothing to be desired and I would recommend the hotel to anyone!
How long we stayed for:
We went for a week – I was a bit worried that this would be too long but honestly, I think that any less wouldn’t have been long enough! There is so much to explore in Vegas you could stay there for a month and not see it all!
What shows we saw:
Vegas is known for its shows and they certainly didn’t disappoint. We saw three whilst we were there!
The whole reason Billy’s family and I decided that Las Vegas would be the best present for his 21st was because Backstreet Boys have recently begun a residency. Backstreet Boys were Billy’s favourite band growing up so it seemed perfect that we should go and see them! The show was great, the arenas are much smaller than the O2 so they show had quite an intimate feel! Billy was trying to contain his enthusiasm and pretend that I had dragged him along but as soon as the show began it was clear who had dragged who along! 
We knew that we wanted to see a Cirque Du Soleil show during our trip and we decided that the Michael Jackson inspired show ‘One’ looked like a good option. We opted for the cheapest seats because, as I said before, the theatres in Vegas are nowhere near as big as the ones here in London! However, once we sat down in our seats a lovely lady came and offered us seats in the front section in the aisle – some of the best seats in the house! The show was amazing and I would highly recommend it!
Whilst we were in Vegas we decided that two shows just wasn’t enough so we booked to go and see Cirque Di Soleil’s ‘O’. It was incredible. The staging was unlike anything I’ve seen before as it transforms from a normal stage to a swimming pool and back again seamlessly throughout the show. I was in complete awe of the peformers who were able to put on such an amazing show with such unusual staging! Another show I would say is a must see if you are in Las Vegas.
What we ate:
Obviously America is famous for its huge, unhealthy food portions! Me and Billy both love eating out so we really made the most of the excuse that we were on holiday. I’ve listed a few of our favourite restaurants that we ate at, as well as some that we didn’t enjoy so much!
Virgils:
This was Billy’s favourite meal of the holiday! It was a lovely BBQ restaurant serving HUGE portions with live music for entertainment while you eat!
Yardbird:
Billy and I watched a series of Hell’s Kitchen before going to Vegas and the winner got the job as head chef at Yardbird at the Venetian, so we decided to try it. It was delicious, serving classic Southern food – so a lot of fried chicken. My favourite meal of the holiday.
Gordon Ramsay’s Pub and Grill:
You cannot escape Gordon Ramsay in Las Vegas – he has restaurants EVERYWHERE. We tried to get in to his restaurant Burgr but the queue was so long! We settled on his Pub and Grill in Caesar’s – it was lovely!
Planet Hollywood:
The most expensive meal of the holiday and by far the most underwhelming! We went to Planet Hollywood on our first night as it was right next door to our hotel and we were exhausted from travelling. The food was average and overpriced! Would not recommend!
What else we did:
Grand Canyon:
You cannot go to Vegas and not visit the Grand Canyon whilst you’re there! It’s one of the seven wonders of the world and definitely worth seeing. There are loads of tour companies that will take you to the Canyon. We used one called Canyon Tours, and took a light aircraft to the Grand Canyon – flying over amazing scenery including the Hoover Dam. When we landed we had three hours to explore two different view points – we went over the skywalk. It was breathtaking!
North Las Vegas Premium Outlets:
If you want to get some shopping done whilst in Vegas I would recommend visiting one of the two outlets. We went to the one in the North. If you sign up online before you go you get a free coupon passport entitling you to even more discounts! Billy got Ralph Lauren tops for £10 and I got a pair of Levi shorts for £20.
Fremont Street:
When going to Vegas you should definitely spend an evening in Fremont Street which takes you back to Vegas before the strip – there are hundreds of street performers and you can’t escape the neon lights!
Gambled:
You can’t go to Vegas without gambling. Skittle bit. We didn’t go too mad and still managed to win big – I won $595 on my very first bet!
Explored the hotels:
The hotels in Vegas have so much to offer from dolphin sanctaries to dancing fountains it really is worth exploring them thoroughly. I would particularly recommend the Volcano Show at the Mirage and the Gonala ride at the Venetian. The view from the Statosphere is also worth seeing.
And finally… visited the Las Vegas sign:
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